NavList:

Thanks to all of you who sent your best wishes to me in private emails.  They were much appreciated.

All in all, I am doing pretty well.  I have been told I have a good attitude.  (My altitude and latitude are also pretty good.)  When I first got the diagnosis I figured there were three ways I could respond:

1) Shut down completely and feel sorry for myself.  That wouldn't work.  As long as I felt OK, there was too much that needed to be done, and much I wanted to do.

2) Start knocking things off my bucket list as fast as I could.  But I felt this would be like giving up, like there was no hope.  And I refuse to give up hope.

3) Live life as normally as possible.  This is the way I chose.

In fact, my life has not changed much.  The only differences are related to my chemotherapy schedule and the chemo side effects.  The chemo takes a couple of hours, but it is only one day a week for three weeks, then a week off to recuperate.  For a while the most significant side effect was "constarrhea".  I'll take constipation over diarrhea any day!  Happily, this is pretty much under control.

The side effect that does not go away is fatigue.  It seems to peak on the second and third days after the chemo, when it is easy for me to sleep the entire day.  But for the other five days of the week I am fully functional.  Well, maybe not as fully functional as Lieutenant Commander Data, but pretty good.  I have been working on a train table and train display shelves for my grandson, fixing the fence at my daughter's house, etc.  There is even something I am doing that I did not do before the diagnosis.  I am no longer concerned with making a fool of myself, so I have been performing at open mikes, playing the guitar (not bad) and singing (not good).  Nice crowds - there are acts worse than me, and even they get applause.  I have become friendly with some of the amazingly talented performers, of which there are quite a few.

Bottom line - I feel pretty good, and expect to make it to Frank's NavList dinner in Mystic on the 27th, where I hope to see many of you.  I'll be the guy with the scruffy whiskers (no way to call it a beard) and the hat keeping my bald head warm.  (My wife says that without the whiskers, when I take the hat off I look like an alien.)

Oh yes, my wife.  After the initial shock of the diagnosis wore off, she has been great.  I couldn't have a better wife/companion/nurse.

Stan

-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Reed <NoReply_FrankReed@fer3.com>
To: slk1000 <slk1000---.com>
Sent: Tue, Sep 18, 2018 8:47 pm
Subject: [NavList] News from Stan K

I asked permission from Stan Klein, and he agreed, that it would be all right for me to let the NavList community know that Stan is being treated for a rather aggressive type of cancer. He's been going through various treatments that have left him sick and fatigued and hasn't found much time to engage in NavList discussions. I know we all wish him the best and wish him a speedy recovery. Those of you who have time, I encourage you to bother him with some emails. Lots of emails! Distraction is great medicine. :) Stan, please feel free to post your email address directly. I'll arrange for it to be masked in such a way that you won't be bombarded with spam. Or you can do that yourself, of course.

Those of you who haven't met Stan Klein might appreciate a visual aid if you've been reading his messages for years, and especially if you have used his Celestial Tools software. Here's Stan delivering a presentation at the Navigation Conference at Mystic Seaport Museum last year:

 

I'll be organizing a little NavList gathering, just a little dinner and drinks, late next month since Gary LaPook is coming to town. Stan has promised he'll be there, too, assuming he's not beaten down too much by the illness or the treatments! There will be more details on this in the next 48 hours.

Frank Reed
Clockwork Mapping / ReedNavigation.com
Conanicut Island USA